Making a Public Interest Disclosure

According to the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010, members of the public are encouraged to make a PID regarding:

a) A substantial and specific danger to the health and safety of a person with a disability as defined in the Disability Services Act 1992;b) A substantial and specific danger to the environment;c) A reprisal taken against anybody as a result of a Public interest disclosure.

A reprisal is when a person causes, or attempts to conspire to cause detriment to another person because, or in the belief that, another person has made or may make a PID.

The public is encouraged to report all wrongdoing regarding council, and where any disclosures are received which do not meet the PID requirements, will be considered through council's general complaints process or another appropriate avenue.

Is Mackay Regional Council the proper authority for my Public Interest Disclosure?

To identify whether Council is the proper authority to make your report to, you need to consider who and what the report is about. Council is only authorised to receive a PID where:

The disclosure is about the conduct of Council or its employees;

Council is responsible for the investigation of particular issues (e.g. matters referred from the Crime & Corruption Commission and/or Queensland Ombudsman).

What if I want to make an anonymous Public Interest Disclosure?

Anonymous disclosures can be made, however, council prefers that Disclosers identify themselves. This enables the best assessment and investigation of the public interest disclosure and ensures appropriate support and feedback is provided to the Discloser.

If a Discloser chooses to remain anonymous, they are asked to provide as much information as possible in their disclosure, to enable proper assessment and investigation of the public interest disclosure.

Please note that an anonymous Discloser will not be able to be advised or informed of the investigation outcome.

What are my responsibilities as a discloser?

When making a PID you have a responsibility to:

Provide honest and accurate information. Deliberately providing false or misleading information is an offence under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010;

Provide all information currently in your possession. You must not seek to investigate the matter yourself;

Make the disclosure to someone you reasonably believe is the proper authority to receive it.

How do I make a Public Interest Disclosure?

Council's preferred option for making a public interest disclosure is in writing (whenever possible) and contains as much relevant information as available.

The Queensland Ombudsman has been allocated responsibility for providing advice and guidance to public sector entities and officials to meet their responsibilities created from the Public Sector Ethics Act 1994 and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010.